Down Is the New Up

Have you ever heard the phrase "black is the new pink?" Or that a certain style is "so last week"? Societal trends change so frequently and in such a fickle fashion.

Lets look at the phrase "black is the new pink." One day everyone could be wearing black, every single person, because it's what they are told is fashionable. Suddenly someone enters saying that pink is fashionable, that "black is the new pink." Next thing you know, everyone completely disposes of their pink wardrobe in favor of black out of fear of being deemed outdated or unfashionable. In an instant pink, a color once adored by all, becomes a disgusting object of hatred, replaced by black. Pink is not stylish. Black is.

If you've ever read 1984, you will be familiar with the concept of "doublethink": the process by which one essentially rewrites reality in their own mind. In this context, they hold two contradictory ideas to be true: the established idea that pink is stylish and the new idea that black is stylish. And through the process of doublethink they forget that pink is stylish, even adopting the belief that it's ugly, in favor of the new idea, and then using doublethink to forget that they ever used doublethink in the first place (a little tough to wrap your head around, I know).

Here's another example is from 1984. The country Oceania was at war with the country Eurasia. Therefore, as far as everyone in the party believed, Oceania had always been at war with Eurasia. Suddenly, Oceania is at war with East Asia, not Eurasia. Therefore everyone believes that Oceania has always been at war with East Asia, and always at peace with Eurasia. They become enraged by all of their own posters against Eurasia, convincing themselves that East Asian spies had placed them there. Reality is rewritten in their minds, and truth ceases to be about objective facts and becomes the subjective whim of the party.

That is the danger of doublethink: it is reality control. Reality is defined by the party, who has complete control over its members minds. They control the present, and therefore control the past, therefore having control over the future.

I think that with "Down is the New Up" Radiohead is pointing out the use of doublethink in our society. Pink becomes the new black. Reality is changed. Down is the new up. We don't need you anymore, because you're outdated, you're so last week.

To convince yourself of such lies requires amputation, contortion, you must twist and turn your way to fit into this new fabricated reality. You perform a 180 flip-flop, you convince yourself that down is up, that 2 and 2 always make 5. Because that's what society says. Let society tell you what's stylish, let the government tell you what's real.

Shake out your pockets. Pass your money on down, which of course is up. My interpretation is that this section is referring to the flow of money going to the rich under the guise of going to the poor. After all, we live in topsy-turvy town.

And anyone who disagrees, anyone who clings to their objective reality is a bastard, crawling away. An outcast who sits down and stands up, not the other way around.

Unfortunately it is 180 flip-flop. Orwellian flip-flop is an amazing lyric but you can't have everything. Fantastic song so that makes up for it.

I believe this song is about my screen name and what is coming. See also, 4 Minute Warning (and comments by jocularjosh on that song)...

Note that Radiohead dedicated The Bends to the late Bill Hicks in their liner notes - if it's any indication of what their role models have taught them (watch some Bill Hicks on YouTube).

Another role model they have is the band Talking Heads. Radiohead are named after the song of the same name off of the True Stories album, which is also a VERY important movie (True Stories directed and co-written by David Byrne), packed with important info.

Do your research, get informed and get educated! If the truth becomes transparent to you, try not to let it overwhelm you. Just remember:

"Get yourself together, let the light pour in Pour yourself a hot bath, pour yourself a drink Nothing's going to happen without warning..."

This song perfectly encapsulates the feel of late 2000s British politics so well that it is scary. The carnival imagery, amputating, contorting, cutting services, the feeling of it being a grotesque frenetic parade in which up is down, left is right and exactly the wrong thing is paraded as the right thing, while being haunted by the backing vocals of the voices of those that this parade has trampled over.

Thom Yorke must know how good he is. Because he is one mega talented bastard.

such a cool new song! the live version i've been watching where johhny jumps on the little drum kit is about the best thing i've ever seen. cant wait to hear the new album, this is up there with videotape and arpeggi as my favourite new tunes

Latest Version:

Get yourself together Let the light pour in Pour yourself a hot bath, pour yourself a drink Nothing's gonna happen without a warning Down is the new Up What is up, buttercup Down is the new Up, is the new Up

Your services are not required Your future's bleak, you're so last week

Ladies and gentlemen, without a safety net I shall now perform an Orwellian flip-flop I shall now amputate, I shall now contort Because Down is the new Up What if I just flip-flopped? Down is the new Up, is the new Up

Caught on Candid Camera The chink in your armor Topsy turvy town, topsy turvy town Shake your pockets out Pass it on, pass it down Topsy turvy town, topsy turvy town

seems to be about relativism and how people can be conditioned to believe anything, 1984 style.

The lyrics are more along the lines of:

Get yourself together Let the light pour in Pour yourself a hot bath Pour yourself a drink Nothing's gonna happen Without a warning

Down is the new Up What is up Buttercup Down is the new Up, is the new Up..

I'd sell my soul If it's required Your future's bleak Your soul is weakening

Ladies and gentlemen, without a safety net I shall now perform an Orwellian flip flop I shall now amputate, I shall now contort

Cos Down is the new Up What if I just flip flopped Down is the new Up, is the new Up

caught on Candid Camera the chink in your armor Topsy turvy town, topsy turvy town

Shake your pockets out Pass it on, pass it down Topsy Turvy town, topsy turvy town

And I guess the reference to Orwell indicates it is a reference to Orwell's decision to become a socialist. Orwell wrote a book called "Down and Out in Paris and London".

does anybodi know where i can watch this video?

References to Orwell, amputation, contortion, Candid camera? It's about the way we are being consumed by the media, "contorted" news reports "amputation" - what is left out in what we see in the media? "Nothing's gonna happen, without a warning" - Our sense of false security?? Dark lyrics, scary theme.

I agree that this song is about media distortion. "Orwellian Flip-Flop" may refer to how in 1984, the country that Eurasia was at war with was subject to change without notice.

We're being told in the media to give up our freedoms for safety (from terrorism). Normally, you wouldn't surrender your freedoms to anyone, but we're being told that's a good thing. Hence, bad is the new good, and down is the new up. Alles klarr?